Impermanence in Plain English

Impermanence in Plain English
Author: Bhante Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2023-09-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614299048

The bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English guides the reader toward a direct and personal realization of one of the foundational tenets of Buddhism: all things that arise must pass away. In Impermanence in Plain English, the beloved author and teacher Bhante Gunaratana, alongside Julia Harris, clearly and masterfully explains the key Buddhist insight of impermanence and invites the reader to personally investigate its truth. Once-youthful bodies grow old and weary. New thoughts, feelings, and sensations arise and fade every second. Impermanence is not some abstract, metaphysical idea. This is the Dhamma, and you can see it for yourself. Drawing from Pali scriptures and writing with fresh, direct language, Bhante Gunaratana and Julia Harris highlight the Buddha’s exhortation that we must directly realize for ourselves the liberating insights that free us from suffering and cyclic existence, without relying only on the word of religious authorities or academic or philosophical musings.

Loving-Kindness in Plain English

Loving-Kindness in Plain English
Author: Henepola Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2017-03-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614292647

The bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English invites us to explore the joyful benefits of living with loving-kindness. With his signature clarity and warmth, Bhante Gunaratana shares with us how we can cultivate loving-kindness to live a life of joyful harmony with others. Through personal anecdotes, step-by-step meditations, conversational renderings of the Buddha’s words in the suttas, and transformative insights into how we live in and relate to the world, we learn that peace here and now is possible—within ourselves and in all our relationships. Bhante G speaks directly to how we can cultivate loving-kindness to find emotional clarity, overcome anger, and become more peaceful—both on and off the meditation cushion. Loving-Kindness in Plain English was chosen for the Spirituality & Practice Book Award as one of the 50 Best Spiritual Books of 2017 by the website Spirituality & Practice.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English
Author: Henepola Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2012-08-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614290423

In simple and straightforward language, Bhante Gunaratana shares the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness and how we can use these principles to improve our daily lives, deepen our mindfulness, and move closer to our spiritual goals. Based on the classic Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most succinct yet rich explanations of meditation, Bhante's presentation is nonetheless thoroughly modern. The Satipatthana Sutta has become the basis of all mindfulness meditation, and Bhante unveils it to the reader in his trademark "plain English" style. Contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—mindfulness of the body, of feelings, of the mind, and of phenomena themselves—is recommended for all practitioners. Newcomers will find The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English lays a strong groundwork for mindfulness practice and gives them all they need to get started right away, and old hands will find rich subtleties and insights to help consolidate and clarify what they may have begun to see for themselves. People at every state of the spiritual path will benefit from reading this book.

Nothing Is Hidden

Nothing Is Hidden
Author: Barry Magid
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2013-09-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614291020

In this inspiring and incisive offering, Barry Magid uses the language of modern psychology and psychotherapy to illuminate one of Buddhism's most powerful and often mysterious technologies: the Zen koan. What's more, Magid also uses the koans to expand upon the insights of psychology (especially self psychology and relational psychotherapy) and open for the reader new perspectives on the functioning of the human mind and heart. Nothing Is Hidden explores many rich themes, including facing impermanence and the inevitability of change, working skillfully with desire and attachment, and discovering when "surrender and submission" can be liberating and when they shade into emotional bypassing. With a sophisticated view of the rituals and teachings of traditional Buddhism, Magid helps us see how we sometimes subvert meditation into just another "curative fantasy" or make compassion into a form of masochism.

Journey to Mindfulness

Journey to Mindfulness
Author: Henepola Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2017-11-28
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1614294585

The inspiring life-story of from the bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English—updated and expanded in honor of his 90th birthday. Bhante Gunaratana—Bhante G., as he is affectionately called—has long been among the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West. Ordained at twelve, he would eventually become the first Buddhist chaplain at an American university, the founder of a retreat center and monastery, and a bestselling author. Here, Bhante G. lays bare the often-surprising ups and downs of his more than ninety years, from his boyhood in Sri Lanka to his decades of sharing the insights of the Buddha, telling his story with the "plain-English" good-humored approach for which he is so renowned. This expanded anniversary edition includes four new chapters in which Bhante reflects on the impact of the tsumani that struck his homeland in 2004 and his subsequent appearance on Larry King Live, his brief experiment in ordaining nuns at his monastery, as well intimate reflections on the loss of family members, and his own aging and infirmity—providing a model an inspiring model to us all of gracious equanimity.

What, Why, How

What, Why, How
Author: Bhante Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2020-01-21
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1614296170

Everything you ever wanted to know but never had a chance to ask about meditation and Buddhist spiritual practice, from one of the greatest mindfulness teachers of our time. How can I fit meditation into my busy life? How should I understand karma and rebirth? Is enlightenment even possible for me? Sound familiar? If you’ve ever meditated or studied Buddhism, you may have found yourself asking these questions—and many more! Here’s the good news: there are answers, and you’ll find them all in this book. Imagine that you could sit down with one of Buddhism’s most accomplished and plainspoken teachers—and imagine that he patiently agreed to answer any question you had about meditation, living mindfully, and key Buddhist concepts—even the myriad brilliant questions you’ve never thought to ask! What, Why, How condenses into one volume a half-century of Bhante G.’s wise answers to common questions about the Buddha’s core teachings on meditation and spiritual practice. With his kind and clear guidance, you’ll gain simple yet powerful insights and practices to end unhealthy patterns and habits so that you can transform your experience of the world—from your own mind to your relationships, your job, and beyond.

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English
Author: Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2009-09-08
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0861715292

Gunaratana offers basic instruction on the meaning of insight meditation through concepts that can be applied to any tradition. His focus here is on the Jhanas, those meditative states of profound stillness in which the mind becomes fully immersed in the chosen object of attention.

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English
Author: Henepola Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2009-08-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0861719956

“A straightforward and pragmatic guide to deepening levels of concentration and insight. This book is a joy to read and a great gift to us all.”—Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness Countless people worldlwide have made Mindfulness in Plain English a beloved and bestselling classic in almost a dozen languages. Now after nearly two decades, Bhante helps meditators of every stripe take their mindfulness practice to the next level - helping them go, in a word, beyond mindfulness. In the same warm, clear, and friendly voice, Bhante introduces the reader to what have been known for centuries as the "jhanas" - deeply calm, joyous, and powerful states of meditation that, when explored with the clearly presented tools in this book, can lead to a life of insight and unshakeable peace.

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English
Author: Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2010-10
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1458783537

Countless people world wide have made Mindfulness in Plain English a beloved and bestselling classic in almost a dozen languages. Now after nearly two decades, Bhante helps meditators of every stripe take their mindfulness practice to the next level - helping them go, in a word, beyond mindfulness. In the same warm, clear, and friendly voice, Bhante introduces the reader to what have been known for centuries as the ''jhanas'' - deeply calm, joyous, and powerful states of meditation that, when explored with the clearly presented tools in this book, lead to life of insight and unshakeable peace.

Dependent Origination in Plain English

Dependent Origination in Plain English
Author: Bhante Gunaratana
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 149
Release: 2024-06-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1614299145

In his famously accessible language, the author of Mindfulness in Plain English unpacks the foundational Buddhist theory of dependent origination, showing the reader how by eliminating ignorance we can eliminate suffering. Nothing happens by accident. All things, no matter how mundane or meaningful, arise based on causes and conditions. And without those causes and conditions they would not arise at all. This, in short, is the Buddha’s teaching of dependent origination. Embedded in this fundamental theory are central teachings such as nonself, impermanence, and the four noble truths. And from it we can see for ourselves how suffering and rebirth, the great problems lying at the heart of the dhamma, arise—and how they pass away. In Dependent Origination in Plain English, the venerable scholar-monk Bhante Gunaratana and his student Veronique Ziegler break down this keystone Buddhist teaching from the Pali canon into its core components, guiding the reader step by step from ignorance to suffering and its end. The process leading to future rebirths may seem far off, but it’s not some distant event. It’s happening now, with every breath you take.